Jane Harman resigned from Congress February 28, 2011 to join the Woodrow Wilson Center as its first female Director, President and CEO.

Representing the aerospace center of California during nine terms in Congress, she served on all the major security committees: six years on Armed Services, eight years on Intelligence, and eight on Homeland Security. During her long public career, Harman has been recognized as a national expert at the nexus of security and public policy issues, and has received numerous awards for distinguished service.

She is a member of the Defense Policy Board, the State Department Foreign Policy Board, and the Homeland Security Advisory Committee. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the Trilateral Commission and the Advisory Board of the Munich Security Conference.

Harman is a Trustee of the Aspen Institute and the University of Southern California. She is also a member of the Presidential Debates Commission.

A product of Los Angeles public schools, Harman is a magna cum laude graduate of Smith College, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and Harvard Law School. Prior to serving in Congress, she was Staff Director of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights, Deputy Cabinet Secretary to President Jimmy Carter, Special Counsel to the Department of Defense, and in private law practice.

Presidential elections in Egypt mark yet another milestone in the country’s turbulent political journey of the past three years. Will the election of a new president usher in a period of greater security, prosperity and good governance or a continuation of uncertainty and volatility in Egyptian politics and economic life? And what will a new President mean for the US-Egyptian relationship? Four veteran analysts of Egypt and its politics offer their observations on these critical matters in this Ground Truth Briefing. more

The May 25 presidential election in Ukraine will represent a critical turning point in the ongoing crisis. Many questions hang in the balance as the date approaches. Will the elections be conducted peacefully, especially in eastern Ukraine? What will the turnout be? What role will Russia play? Will the first round produce a conclusive result? more

Have we returned to the zero-sum game mentality from our Cold War past? Did we ever leave it? Or is this some kind of deep freeze with the Russians? And just how cold (or hot) is it going to get? Join us as three veteran analysts, practitioners, and scholars of Russia and the U.S.-Russian relationship discuss and debate these issues in this latest National Conversation. more

In a conversation with Wilson Center President Jane Harman, Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will present the OSCE’s priorities for restoring stability in Ukraine and discuss the impact of the crisis on European and Euro-Atlantic security. more

Iran and the P5 plus 1 completed an interim agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue. Negotiators began meeting in Vienna in February to take on the challenge of a comprehensive accord. What are the chances of success, and what are the implications of failure -- for the United States, Iran, and the region at large? In this University Conversation, three veteran observers of U.S. policy, Iran, and the region take on these important questions. more

"American opponents of women's rights used to argue that "biology is destiny" and that therefore women's role in the world had to be limited to bearing and raising children. Women like my mother and me who wanted more than that felt like outsiders in the 1950s and 1960s –and in too many parts of the world this is still true," writes Jane Harman. more

With Steven Spielberg’s film “Lincoln” hitting theaters this Friday, there’s a lot of hype about what our next president — now that we know who he is — can learn from Honest Abe about running and healing a politically divided country. But as Barack Obama heads into his second term, there’s another president who may have just as much relevance as a role model: Woodrow Wilson.

After the terror attacks on 9/11, a public opinion survey by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs showed widespread support for increased spending on national security and counterterrorism. A decade later, a new survey shows that "Americans have become increasingly selective about how and where to engage in the world." Jane Harman and Robert Kagan of the Brookings Institution, spoke with listeners about the results of the 2012 survey on NPR's Talk of the Nation.

Jane Harman writes about the potential of serious games – like the Wilson Center’s own Budget Hero – to engage citizens in public policy and even fix our broken Congress in Bloomberg's "My Bright Idea" column.

The formula to avoid the “fiscal cliff” is simple write Jane Harman and Vin Weber: a bipartisan compromise including spending cuts, entitlement reform and changes to the tax code that was outlined nearly two years ago in The Simpson Bowles Act. “No party can solve these knotty issues alone or without compromise,” the former members of Congress write for Politico.

Wilson Center Director, President, and CEO Jane Harman appeared on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" to discuss US foreign policy with Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski and the Morning Joe hosts. The conversation included discussion of UN Peace Envoy Kofi Annan’s call for a peaceful solution in Syria, whether the mission has been accomplished in Afghanistan, and the current state of Egypt.

Wilson Center Director, President, and CEO Jane Harman appeared on Charlie Rose in a wide-ranging interview about Egypt and the Arab Spring, money in politics, and her work at the Woodrow Wilson Center.

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In the wake of President Obama’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia, please join us for this conference call as three veteran observers and analysts of the Saudi and Washington scenes assess the state of relations between the two countries and prospects for the future.

By partnering with U.S. corporations, USAID and other development agencies can help developing countries innovate new technologies, leapfrog infrastructure investment, and create new markets and sustainable livelihoods. Using technology and innovation to change the lives of millions around the world, these partnerships may also help shape a different view of America as a global power: smart and capable, focused on success and results, not ideology. However, these partnerships can be a challenge to develop and sustain. How can Congress work with the private sector and development agencies to enable these partnerships for success?

U.S. dependence on imported oil and gas has long been a source of controversy, as an economic, political and security issue. Yet now, with the widespread use of new technology allowing dramatic new sources of energy, things are changing. According to some experts, American energy independence is close, turning the tables on traditional suppliers. Is America about to free itself from dependence on foreign oil – or are there hidden risks in this new wealth?

What do the upcoming Sochi Games say about Russia’s prospects for stability and growth, or about the broader Caucasus region? Will Russia’s turbulent domestic politics steal center stage or remain a sideshow? Prominent experts on Russia and the region will address these questions in this Ground Truth Briefing.

With the referendum on the new Constitution set for January 14/15, Egypt is at another critical juncture in its political transition. In this Ground Truth Briefing, experts discuss the new Constitution, political developments on the ground, and the U.S.-Egyptian relationship.

A panel of experts, including R. Gil Kerlikowske, Director of Drug Control Policy at the White House, discusses reforming current policies combating illegal drugs in the United States and Latin America.